Bishop Larry Silva accompanied by Msgr. Gary Secor, vicar general, is in Italy from late January through early February, primarily for his ad limina visit to the Vatican and Pope Francis. Msgr. Secor is sending back regular bulletins on their experiences in the Eternal City. Note the 11-hour time difference between Hawaii and Rome when reading.
THURSDAY, Jan. 23, 2020
Here we are at the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi. Note the heavenly cloud formation as if prayers are ascending!
I am still perfecting my selfie technique.
FRIDAY, Jan. 24, 2020
Today, Friday, was a quiet one since we arrived back in the late evening yesterday from Spoleto. We are back at Hotel Santa Anna and earlier today we had lunch with Msgr. Robert Sarno of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints, an expert in that area.
We got some good advice on how to further the cause of Joseph Dutton. Who knows, maybe someday Hawaii will have three saints!
The above photo was taken this evening a little after 6 p.m. as we crossed St. Peter’s Square on our way to the apartment of Joan Lewis, a friend I mentioned before who worked for years for the Vatican and now is the Rome bureau chief for EWTN.
Here are Bishop Larry and Joan in her Vatican-owned apartment that many would die to have. The view of St. Peter’s is through a window in her place. What a spot!
After dinner (of course another Italian restaurant!) we dropped Joan off at her place and walked the 10-minutes back to our hotel. We happened by a pizza place, which, like many restaurants and places, have Nativity scenes still up. Many keep them up until the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on Feb. 2 since it is the last time in the Scriptures that Jesus is mentioned as a baby.
I had to pop in and take this picture since it is so beautiful (make sure to expand the picture and look up close).
Of course Jesus was homeless when he was born and so I know he has a special concern for those who are homeless, as does Pope Francis.
These homeless are spending the night under a portico to the right of St. Peter’s Basilica (seen in between the columns). We passed here on the final part of our return to our hotel.
As I write these lines from the comfort of my room, I am thinking of them and the many in Hawaii who are homeless. May God bless them and give us all a generous spirit.
-Msgr. Gary
Hawaii Catholic Herald Blog 